


When a Kingdom Comes Alive

by Long_May_She_Reign



Category: Original Work
Genre: Adventure, Affairs, Alternate Universe Romance, Ambrosia, Death, F/F, F/M, Family, Gods, Historical Romance, Intrigue, Lords, Love, M/M, Major - Freeform, Murder, Nobility, Original Characters - Freeform, Original Story - Freeform, Original Tale, Original work - Freeform, Plot Twist, Queens, Religion, Romance, Serfs, Travel, Treason, War, court life, foreign country, foreign land, kings - Freeform, ladies, major plot twist, original book, original piece
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-08
Updated: 2016-12-07
Packaged: 2018-09-07 06:19:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8786857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Long_May_She_Reign/pseuds/Long_May_She_Reign
Summary: Aven, crown Princess of Erandia, is about to get tossed into a world that she has never before experienced with people whom she has never met. She will have to place her trust in them for survival, and yet for her to give her trust away is what puts her most at risk, and the people she’s surrounded by are hardly insurmountable characters. There’s Avory, who is always looking to advance himself in the world. There’s Vivi, who seems perfect, but not everyone is as they appear. And lastly there is Magneta, who brings hope and joy to everyone, especially to Aven, but Aven can't accept her. Aven realizes she can put on a smile and deceive people through omission, letting them believe she’s perfect, keeping her sins in the past, but she will always know of them.  When she hardly feels better than Julius, the usurper who murdered her whole family and stole her crown, when she worries about her people dying for her, how can she fight to save them? Would she even be saving anyone? And when her demons are revealed, will her people finally realize the truth- that there is no person fighting for the crown who is worthy of bearing the title ‘Your Majesty’?





	1. Slipping Between the Cracks

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Me](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Me), [Myself](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Myself/gifts).



> Hi everyone! As you had to of noticed, this is an original work. Any comment, suggestion, or thoughts are welcome and, in fact, encouraged. I want to make this the best story I can, so please be brutally honest, whether that means praise or criticism for my book. Thanks all!

Chapter 1. Slipping Between the Cracks

 

I can’t see, and I can’t breathe. The cruel weight of reality relentlessly presses in as my vision flickers. I look up at Samira, tears slowly leaking from the corners of my eyes, tracing their way across my cheeks like the river bending through the curves of the ravine beneath us. The ground shook and I trembled with it, the shaking in me continuing on long after the earth had ceased moving. I found myself burrowing further down into the long, cool grass underneath me, seeking some small form of comfort. I wanted nothing more than the earth to open up and swallow both Samira and me as we lay there, giving us at least one moment of safety as it kept us deep inside of its protective embrace.  
“Samira,” I cried, my voice a hollow, thin croak, as I reached for her once more, seeking the comfort of human companionship instead. Her lips were pale and cracked and her eyes, once so luminous just like stars in the night, now held dark hollows underneath them, a testament to how little sleep we had gotten over these past few days. The light within them I had always looked to, like a ship in a storm, had dimmed to faint wisps of what used to be. Her cheeks were sunken in and I could see the despair in her eyes and knew she was about to go under. I can only imagine that I look exactly the same. I reach for her hand, within my eyes an impassioned plea. Don’t leave me.   
There was a ripping sound and I closed my eyes, the tears pounding their way past the closed lids in earnest now. Fear gripped my heart in its cold talons and my breath constricted so I already felt dead, as if I’d felt any more than half alive these past few hours. I knew what was coming, and I didn’t want to die, but already the earth was cracking open. In a way I was getting my wish.  
I felt Samira clasp my hand tightly in hers, but we were both too weak to move beyond that. We lay there, confined in the positions we had fallen into upon shaky legs when the ground had sent out its first gusty rumble. I squeezed her hand in what I could only hope was a reassuring manner, though I had to hand it to her, she hardly needed it. She is behaving much more courageously than I am. Her breathing is raspier, coming in half gasps, but she lets her eyes show no trace of tears, no sign of despair, instead leaving in them a calm, steady look. Strong, dependable Samira- she would do her best to make me feel protected until the end. I shouldn’t have been so selfish to hold onto her. I should have let her go, just like the rest. But she was here, and I needed her now, so despite the part of me that hated myself for all I had done to her, I clenched her hand feverently tighter, needing that physical contact more than anything. I forced myself to open my eyes, and though the edges were shrouded in darkness, my vision blurred like paint splashed across canvas, I did my best to focus on the one thing left to me. I would have my last view on this earth be of the of the person who had stuck with me at the risk of their own safety, and the only one I had left in this world. I was blessed and cursed with one final image- that of a sliver of her flaming hair sprawled across the green grass, such a vivid emerald against that fiery red, before the edge of the hill we were collapsed on gave way beneath her, sending her plummeting down onto the expanse of cruel rocks below   
I tried to scream as my fingers stretched searchingly into the void. “No!” a raspy breath wheezed out from between my teeth. No, I couldn’t lose her! Not her! We had sworn. I tried desperately to paw the earth and drag myself forward, too weak to move without help now that I had fallen, but I could not. It was too much, the pain, the exhaustion of the past few days, the lack of any sustenance to keep me going. Opening my eyes, reaching out for her hand, those simple tasks had drained the last reservoirs of energy from me. I could do no more no matter how much I wanted to pitch myself off that cliff after her. All I could do now is surrender to the darkness, and sleep…

 

A warmth I had never known spread through me, blossoming in my chest. A weary smile drifted across my face. Samira, I will find you yet. 

 

It seemed to stretch into eternity, this time in hell, heaven, purgatory, wherever the blazes I am. That doesn’t concern me- only one thing does, and that is a question that drives unremittingly into me, breaking through the shadows of my foggy mind. Where is Samira? Would I ever see her kindly eyes again? And my family…

 

There was a clacking sound that drilled into my head, piercing my very soul like the noise carried within it barbed wires. I cried out, writhing in agony, trying to escape the noise and the throbbing bump bump bump of my head. There was so much pain, pulling me down and drowning me in its seeking depths...

A voice issues forth, commanding me to drink. I feel a hand slide behind my head, lifting it up. It came again, speaking to me harshly, though I couldn’t discern what it was saying. It seems to be telling me to fight. Am I expected to duel to make it to heaven, then?

I woke, startled, at a sound. I am met with the dusty image of a dark night sky, lit by solitary stars hung here and there, cast about just as the people on the world I have left behind. It is achingly beautiful. The moon above hangs over me like a shield, as if telling me I am safe now, that it will protect me from here on out. It looked oddly like the one on earth. I lay stiff, unable to move. I can tell that I’m on a hard surface, and every few inches or so I can feel sharp points digging into my skin, leaving a prickling, tingly feeling. I roll a bit and wince as I feel more dig into me. I feel my shoulder bump something and hear it roll, scraping along, and it sounded, if only vaguely, like a rock. So I am on the ground, then. I moaned as I rolled my head, striving to my utmost best to find a more comfortable position. Sitting up is out of the question- I can feel the aching in my bones and accept that I am far too weak for that. Instead, I try turning my head to see where I am. I look towards the orange glow that is bathing over me. A small fire is lit, and there is a shadowy figure that is barely discernable hunkered down on the opposite side of it. Their light snoring tells me quite clearly that they are asleep. A rocky ground, a pale moon above me, a person who cannot find a way to be quiet while sleeping, and only a fire and sparse blanket to keep me warm. If this is heaven, it truly is a disappointment.   
I groan and lick my lips, suddenly realizing I’m parched beyond reason. My eyelids flicker weakly as I make a vain attempt to call out for help from the figure, whomever it may be, but my throat is too dry for anything but a feeble rasp to escape. I give up, relaxing my head and closing my eyes once more. Would that I were back on earth.

“Are you up yet?” an irritated voice snapped, and I felt a prodding in my side. After a moment's effort I managed to pry my eyes open, turning my head sharply and throwing my hand up to protect my sensitive eyes from the blinding light of the sun.   
“It’s about time.” the voice, distinctly masculine, grumbled.   
My head still turned to the side, I opened my mouth. “Water.” I said shortly, wondering if he had even heard such a weak sound that held the power to cause me so much agony. I winced and rubbed at my throat pathetically, as if I could brush away the pain.  
“Ah, of course,” he, whoever he was, said promptly before striding off, and I had the pleasure of noting that he at least had the decency to sound half ashamed.   
“Here,” he said, back in a flash, as he lifted my head and turned it so that I was once again staring into the blazing light of the golden sun. I let out a groan as the delicious water passed my cracked lips and slid down my achingly dry throat. I hadn’t realized water had a taste until that moment. I sucked it down greedily, reaching up my hand to try and grab the flask he held to my lips.   
“None of that now!” he chastened as he pulled it away, breaking the connection to me and that precious life-giver. “You’ll only get sick.”  
The water had wet my throat enough that I could now reasonably talk, though my voice came out rather warbly. “I’m already sick, and part of that is because I’m so dehydrated. You withholding water from me will not counteract that!” I protested weakly, winching at the effort.  
“I’m not withholding it, I’m saying you need to slow down. If you drink too much too fast it will all be for nothing.” he said severely, and I sensed he already thought I was an idiot. He didn’t need to say it- it was implied in his intonation, in the way he spoke so disdainfully, as if I were hardly worth the words. I felt myself flush past the faint remnants of what I now realized was a fever.  
“I was about to stop!” I protested weakly.  
“Really, because it looked as though you were ready to chug the whole of the Raritan lake.”   
My eyes widened in shock. He had caught me “Look, you, I’m no imbecile, and I don’t appreciate the implication.” I chided, trying not to let him realize he was right. I gave him the haughtiest look I could muster, eyes half-shielded, head back, chin up, back straight, and lips tightly pressed together, daring him to say anything.  
“Perfect. Then you’ll know to only take small sips of this every few minutes.” he said before tossing the flask my way, not at all perturbed by the look I had given him. “I’ll start up a broth for you. Nothing fancy, just something to put into your stomach. You won’t want to be eating anything too rich just yet.”  
“Wait!” I cried out as he went to leave. He stopped, turning his head to show I had his attention. “I’m not… I’m not dead, am I?” it was more of a statement than a question, but I had to hear it from him.  
“You’re quite the observationist, Now, if you’ll excuse me…  
I wasn’t listening. I had already wrapped my arms around myself and was fading inwards. I’m alive, and I left her. Samira, I’m so sorry. I sent my thoughts out into the wind, hoping she would hear them in heaven, where I am certain she now resides, but I don’t know if they are enough...

 

I was still too weak to move by the time the broth finished, so the man brought it to me. He handed it to me in a wooden bowl, something I hadn’t even seen a few months ago but had quickly become accustomed to eating with these past few weeks on the run.   
“What’s your name?” I asked the second he handed it to me, not giving him a chance to walk off once more.  
“My name is Avory.” he said in a measured tone that very much implied he didn’t actually want to talk. The silence that ensued only confirmed what I thought- he wasn’t going to give me an inch, this one.  
“My throat is already greatly improved. Was there ambrosia in the water? I thought I tasted something. At first I thought it was just because I was so thirsty, but that has ebbed and the flavor is still there.”  
He nodded. “My supply is limited, so I’ve had to curtail how much I’ve given you, but I thought it would be your best chance of survival.”  
I nodded mutely in understanding. Ambrosia dated back thousands of years, to when the Gods still walked the earth with the mortals. A vindictive priest, Sharliman, plotted to overthrow the Gods and claim their power for himself. His understudy, Brutus, learned of his plans and was able to thwart them in time. The Gods had been grateful, gifting him and future generations with the golden food that was rumored to be powerful enough to give back life to those who are dead. I had never put much stock into the story, believing only the Gods themselves to have that power, a sentiment shared by some of my countrymen. Despite disagreements on the ambrosia itself, one thing is agreed upon by all- that was our most definitive moment in history as a country. We had gained much, but we had lost the Gods. Worried that they were too vulnerable, they had ascended to the heavens, and no mortal has seen them since. It was said that for the first few decades after their departure, there was a depression that spread through the people, which they could only describe as being caused by a feeling of aching loss within them.   
As miraculous as ambrosia is, it is also exceedingly rare. Avory had been far too kind by giving me any, nonetheless a flask of water with it. I looked down at the bowl of broth I held, turning it in my hands, trying to come to a decision. “Do you know who I am?” I finally asked, clenching the bowl tight.  
There was a stony silence, one that had me squirming inside from what his answer may be. I looked up to see him studying me. He waited until I looked at him before he nodded once. “Yes. I am aware that you’re Princess Aven.”   
My gaze hardened. “Then you are a fool.”  
“Well, aren’t you charming. I can see that your education in manners is lacking.” he remarked casually.   
I paused, my jaw working up and down before I shook my head, collecting myself. I drew myself up straight and, with as much dignity as I could muster while laying on the ground completely helpless underneath the blanket he had to have given me, with the soup he had made for me, and with a fever that I’d had for who even knows how long, told him firmly, “I thank you sincerely for this meal and your hospitality, but the moment I have the energy to leave your company I will do so.”  
“I must insist otherwise.”  
“People have died who have protected me, and I refuse to add any more numbers to that list! I hardly care what you insist, I will be going, sir.”  
“How noble of you.” he said in a tone I couldn’t quite understand, placing extra emphasis on the noble.  
I looked down at the soup, unsure of what to say. He pressed his advantage.  
“And tell me, Princess Ave-  
“Klo.” I interjected stubbornly.  
“Klo. Where will you go? How will you feed yourself? Better yet, how will you survive past a week on your own?”  
I hesitated as I stared down into the pale broth, as if it somehow held the answer to all of the questions Avory was throwing at me. They were ones I had already considered, racing through my head from the moment I had woken. I had as few answers now as I did then. I stared deep into the broths depths, searching for something that would help. It was like I thought it was some crystal ball that would magically imbibe me with all of the things I needed to know. I stirred it around beseechingly at its refusal to reveal the information I most desperately needed. “I’ll figure it out.” I finally lied in a half-hearted manner that didn’t even manage to convince me.  
“No, you won’t, and we both know it. For that matter, King Julius-  
“He is no King!” I spat fiercely, fire in my eyes.  
“Be that as it may, he does sit on the throne. And he knows you won’t survive a week on your own, either, because he has too many men after you for that to happen. You have to admit it, you haven’t a dream of lasting if you strike out on your own.”  
My chin rose obdurately into the air. “Then I will die.” I said in a broken voice that contradicted my stony demeanor, “but it will just be me, and me alone. I would die a thousand deaths before I ever let someone put their safety before mine again. This is the only way, and while I appreciate your efforts, valiant though they are, me coming with you can only end in your death. We must go our separate ways.”  
“You setting forth alone is not the only way. You could fight.”  
I set the bowl down on the ground with a clash, sending soup splashing out onto the ground, fed up. “How?” I cried as I began tugging at my hair, looking up at the man who was responsible for sending me into this state and hating him for it. “Do you not imagine I’ve tried? I ran and walked and ran and walked until my legs gave beneath me, trying to find allies, people I could depend upon to help me. Nobody would. One Lord betrayed me and my maid, Samira, and I were almost caught, ending in her death and you finding me. I have tried. There’s no one I can go to, and, now that Samira is gone, there is no one I can trust.”  
“Is there truly nobody, then? Surely there is at least one person…”  
I became guarded. “I asked for help only from those who have nothing to lose by doing so. I am sure there are still people loyal to my late father, but I would not endanger their families so, and that is all I will say about it. So if you seek a name…” I trailed off, the threat hanging like an ax in the air. I felt a twinge of guilt, threatening the man who had brought me from the brink of death, rather miraculously, I might add, but I needed to make it abundantly clear that he would not get anything from me if his purpose was at all nefarious. I would not be the cause of any more misery- of that I was steadfastly determined.  
“What of Syama? You are peaceful with them. Perhaps you could convince King Sudis to help you reconquer Erandia.”  
I let out a loud sigh of irritation, “The Syama are war folk. They hardly care about Erandia, a country who has only ever sought peace. Strength is what earns a Syamians respect- make no mistake, they tolerate Erandia only because my father gave them lands and money anytime conflict arose. They are much likelier to hand me over to Julius- my father never commanded their respect, and my country is paying the price now.” I remarked bitterly.  
“But surely-  
“Nothing is sure in this world, but there are probabilities, and right now the probability is against me. To fight the odds is suicide. I won’t go to them and deliver myself to death's door in doing so. I’ll be no use to anyone then.”  
“Perhaps you should go to Syama, regardless. You are not your father’s daughter, although your people view you as such. You can come with words of war and set a new path for Erandia, one King Surdis would be happy to follow.”  
“I cannot present myself as a conqueror. King Surdis would ask me one question about my plan of action and be able to see right through me. I’m no warrior, Avory, and if I am to make Syama my ally then I would need to be. I cannot send someone in my place, and I can’t gain the tactical skills needed in time. To go there would be the highest level of folly.”  
He looked at me with a cool, calculating gaze, and I could see scenarios running through his head. I felt like I was a horse up for sale and he was assessing my true value. “You went only to the lords of Erandia, didn’t you?”  
I didn’t reply- it hadn’t really been a question.   
He knew my silence only confirmed what he had said. “You went to the wrong people. The people of this country, your loyal subjects, their fealty remains to you. They loved your father and now that he has passed they love you in his stead. The people you implored for help so desperately are too greedy- Julius satisfies their need for more, something they will always desire. With him as ruler they will be able to extort their serfs beyond what they ever could with your father as monarch.”  
My eyes traveled slowly back up to meet Avory’s as I digested what he was saying, knowing he spoke the truth. In the villages I had passed through, cloaked though I was and fast as I was traveling, I was able to sense a definite change. It had happened immediately after my family's death and only seemed to get worse as time passed. People are tense, scuttering from place to place with shoulders hunched over and their heads hung low, doing everything they possibly can to avoid attention. There is never any laughter and children are nowhere to be seen. It is a time of fear and, when someone with the new royal symbols pass by, there arises in all a subtle show of hatred that is only obvious to one such as myself, who knows the people so well. You can’t see it in the direct mannerisms of the villagers, but you can hear it in the drawling way they speak, in the way they look at the person with blank countenances. There are no outward signs of treason, nothing overtly obvious they can be called out on- there is too much fear of Julius for that- but with each of those little actions they are silently signalling the person that they are not accepted, and will never be another just person walking down the street. Yes, there is fear, but hope washes away fear like a sun bursting forth, breaking up the treacherous clouds of a storm, and the hatred of Julius IS there, of that I am certain. Hatred is something that can be used to draw people into action. And yet...  
“I wouldn’t even know where to begin. It is not as if I’m a war leader. I couldn’t lead a battle. I can barely keep myself alive, and now you suggest that I could send others against Julius and keep them safe?” I gave a toss of my hair and a bitter laugh. “And you would have thought I was the delusional one, what with the fever and all!”  
“I had heard that you were rather charming. I can see now that is a blatant lie.” he said in disgust.  
“I’m only being honest. The very idea of me leading an army is preposterous!”  
He made a sound that showed how little he cared for my doubts. “Look, I’m not saying it will be easy, but it is the only way. You keep saying you won’t let your people die for you, yet how many do you think will survive under King Julius’s rule?” I paused in the midst of my snide thoughts about exactly how foolish Avory sounded as that horrifying thought settled over me. I had been so busy running for my life, I had never stopped to consider how my people would be impacted. I had thought I had changed- become someone who put the people first, someone my father could be proud of, and yet I had been far too selfish in this matter. I saw that now. I had been so worried about myself and evading death that I had never once considered where the reign of Julius would lead. He would wreak devastation upon my country, and the people, more farmers than warriors, would be defenseless against him. Avory knew he had hit the heart of the issue. “I’ll leave you to think about it. I suggest you eat your soup before it gets too cold.” he said smugly as he strutted off. Watching him, I ached to take the bowl of broth and dump it over his smug face. Test the temperature and all that. I honestly can’t say what about him bothers me on such a level, all I know is that something about him truly infuriates me, and with him putting in so little effort to achieve that effect.


	2. When Darkness Survives

Chapter 2. When Darkness Survives

 

I plopped down beside Avory with a sigh. He glanced over at me before going back to his soup and bread.   
“You already know what I’m going to say.” I commented gloomily. I must look after my people, no matter the cost. I am resigned to war, something my father had always looked to avoid. I could imagine him turning in his grave.  
A smile broke out over Avory’s face at the words, but he didn’t reply. I stared at him, waiting, and was taken by surprise. He actually had quite a handsome face. Now that I was finally really looking at it, and he wasn’t talking, I could begin to truly appreciate it.   
The nose is straight and narrow with a defined sharpness you don’t often see. The straight plane was broken at the end with a slight upward curve that is the sole contributor of an impish look to his otherwise serious face. If not for that little flick he would be an impossibly intimidating man to deal with. It amused me, how such a little thing could change a person in such a big way. His eyes are gray and sharp, and they bore into you like they can see all of your darkest secrets and find you severely lacking. They give off a cold mein only aided by his lips, which I have a hunch are always drawn back into that dour frown I had first seen him with, the one that makes him appear so stern. I had half expected him to tell me that the world had come to an end with the grim aura he gave off. Tan skin, a testimony to hours upon hours spent underneath the golden sun, complemented light brown hair that could almost be mistaken for blonde, and he had the slim physique of someone who was used to fighting. It was odd- it wasn’t the build of a warrior, but I got the sense the sword by his side wasn’t for show. He was used to battle but if he was a swordsmen, he wasn’t a typical one. I wondered for a moment what he did exactly, but quickly wrestled aside the temptation to ask. He didn’t seem to want to reveal too much about himself, and I wasn’t about to pick him apart for details he wasn’t willing to provide. He would likely lie, anyways. I pulled my knees up and wrapped my arms around them, laying my chin on them as I stared into the fire.   
“Do you really think they’ll follow me?” I broke the silence, needing to be told everything would work out when nothing else in my life up to this point had. I didn’t know him, but my world was falling apart and I needed some form of reassurance, however small or unbelievable.   
“I think that’s up to you, Princess.”  
Well, that was reassuring, I thought to myself contemptuously, shaking my head at his words. “Don’t call me Princess. I am no longer one, and if things don’t go right I will never be one again. For now, at least, we are equals. Let’s treat each other as such.”  
“You surprise me.” he said in reply, and I could tell he was being sincere.  
“Why is that?”   
“Usually people of your upbringing can never get past their title, even after a fall from grace.”  
“Why should I hold it over others for all time, as if it were some grand achievement that makes me superior to them, simply having the luck of being born into a highly-placed family? Like a mountain, I may sit at the top of the peak, but it is only thanks to the rocks on the bottom. Would I then cast scorn on those who support me and send the whole thing toppling? I realize who I have to thank for my power, and I understand my duty, and that is to ensure that the people always have what they need. Anyone who takes their nobility and uses it against the innocent is not worthy of their royal title. My father taught me that.”   
My voice grew softer and I choked on that last part, my throat tightening as I fought back tears. I had cried far too much lately, and thinking of my beloved family, whose heads rested on the top of pikes last I saw them, threatened to dredge up the remnants of what tears remained.   
“You are one truly meant to rule,” he stated simply, in a manner far too casual.  
“Don’t do that.” I warned him.  
“Do what?” he asked, innocently, and for a moment I almost believed him, but it was too innocent.   
“You know what. I may be young, but I meant what I said earlier. I am no fool. I can read people, so I know what you’re doing. Don’t even bother trying to deceive me!”  
“Klo, I really do have no idea what you’re-  
I stood up sharply, staggering against the sudden movement. I was still far too weak. I straightened myself up, refusing to allow him to see my weakness, already hating that he had seen that lapse of strength. “What is your plan?” I demanded, fists clenched, hoping I looked more intimidating than I felt.  
“What plan?”  
“Do not pretend you are the type to rescue a noble out of the goodness of your heart when you obviously have nothing but contempt for them. You do not know me, you would not put your neck on the line for one such as myself. What do you believe will come of saving me? What do you stand to gain? It can’t be money or a title, you would get all you could ask for from Julius if you handed me over, and you’ve had the opportunity. Besides, you could have turned me in dead, you didn’t need to save me. So what is it that you want?”  
“Why is it you think I’m after something?”  
“I already told you my reasons.”  
“Then you have misjudged me. I’m a good person, I only wanted to save you.”  
“Do not think that I believe you for one moment. What- is- it?” I hissed in a furious tone that brokered no argument.   
“Precisely why do my intentions matter?” he countered, not perturbed by my demanding manner in the slightest. I had a flash of irritation- this is not the reaction I am used to being met with when I ask for something.  
“Because I don’t trust you!” I said too snippily, regretting how petulant I came off even as I said it.   
Now it was Avory’s turn to bolt up off of the ground and stand over me. “What can I do! As you said, if I were going to turn you into Julius I would have by now. You’re still here, so what are you scared of? I’m obviously not going to do that.”  
“Nothing is obvious, you could be biding your time. WHY I don’t know, but that’s what I want to find out! Perhaps you want information, to locate any potential allies of mine. I have to know if you’re using me, or intend to stay and see this whole bloody war you’d have me fighting through. After all, it was your blasted idea, and you can’t tell me you weren’t a warrior. I know your type too well. I can spot you from a mile away.” I accused.   
He hung his head, thinking for a moment, his nostrils flaring as he angrily breathed in and out slowly, in what seemed a sincere effort to calm himself. “Try something new, love. It’s called trust.”  
“Trust is what got me here in the first place. It’s why Samira is dead, and it’s why my kingdom is in ruins. I don’t have the luxury to trust anymore.” I hissed, my eyes narrowed slits as I glared up at Avory. He gave me a measured look in return. Finally, he sighed in defeat, running his fingers through his hair.   
“Look… Julius has too much power. I believe you are the best hope for stopping him.” he finally gave me a direct answer, realizing I wouldn’t let him hedge around the issue. I noticed he didn’t bother denying he had been a warrior, choosing to avoid that accusation altogether.  
“Men like you don’t care about things such as power, because you always manage to find ways to come out on top. I’ll accept your answer for now, but I swear to you I will find out what it is you’re really after, and if there is any deception that will hurt my people then you will pay dearly.”   
“You know, you’re being very insulting considering I saved your life.” he remarked stiffly, eyes narrowed.  
“I’m only being honest, which is more than I can say for you.”  
“Why don’t you do yourself a favor, Aven. Save the threats for your enemies, and stop acting like such a princess if you do not want to be treated as such. You either are my equal, or you aren’t.”  
“I’m hardly acting like a princess. You want equality? I gave you the respect of being upfront and honest with you, and you are clearly hiding things. And even if I were acting like a princess, a lifetime of habits is hardly going to end in a moment.”   
“Hiding things? Oh, so it is plural now, is it?” he countered.  
“Yes, such as how you found me on that cliff.” I replied bluntly, arms crossed and eyes flashing fire, daring him to give me a reasonable explanation as to how that had come about.  
“I was a villager in that last town you were at. I watched you flee as the soldiers came and I knew that I had to get to you before they did.”  
“You really are a brazen bastard,” I hissed through clenched teeth as I stepped closer so that we were chest to chest. He towered over me, but in that moment I hardly cared. “That is the last time you will lie to me. I know my people and I know who lived in that village and you are not one of them.”  
He fell quiet as I looked away, angrily dashing away tears with the back of my hand. Damn him to hell.  
“I’ll get dinner started. It’s getting late,” he said abruptly, and like that the conversation was brought to a definite halt, and I had gained nothing.

 

We traveled that night, as I found out we had been doing every day since my (let’s call it) rescue. Unable to walk myself, Avory had strapped me to the horse after he had rescued me so I wouldn’t fall off and had taken it slow in deference to me. He had been concerned for me, scared the travel would be too much for me in my weakened condition, but he needed to put as much distance as he could between us and that cliff. It wouldn’t take Julius’s soldiers long to realize I was not on the rocks with Samira, nor was I in the river, and then they would once again be hot on my trail. For now, at least, I am safe. No one thinks I am alive, so for the first time in too long nobody will be searching for me, and I’ll finally be able to get some actual rest. Not being hunted means I can relax when I walk into a town. It means, for the moment, I don’t have to keep my ears peeled for the sound of a hounds braying, and it means I can take it easy, if only just a little. I may not be officially declared dead (Julius wouldn’t issue an official proclamation of my death until he is certain I am no longer alive. He isn’t the type to risk making himself look like a fool, but people do talk and word spreads like fire, regardless). With or without Julius’ announcement, news would soon reach even the furthest, most isolated of border towns that the last heir to the throne of Erandia is vanquished, and I do hope it is a mighty tale. It might even be amusing to hear, if I can find a bard loyal to the usurper in one of the towns we pass.   
We stop late in the night to rest for a few hours, but only for the sake of the horses. I know if we could Avory would have us forging on through the night. We stand united on those sentiments- I hate when night settles and we stop to rest. Those moments when the dark presses in and I am forced to close my eyes are the ones I most dread, because in the shadows lurk fragments of horrifying memories, that stalk me like ghosts through a field, only to emerge at a time when everything else is hidden. They make me wish for Avory to be pressed up against me as we ride along on the horse, his snarky words drifting to me, that is, when he deigns to speak to me at all. I yearn for those moments, as they mean we are on the move and I can outrun my past, if only for a short while. Then the dark looms once again, and we stop for camp, and it all begins anew. All things considered, those moments spent on horseback with that ass Avory are far better to the memories that haunt me, memories I would sooner forget… there is so much pain enveloped in each of them, even as they are cloaked in joy.  
I lift Tita into the air, and her laugh is all the reward I need. It fills my head like a bell. A very shrill, very piercing bell. “Throw me, throw me!” she cries gleefully. I yield to her demands with a jubilant laugh, the joy of the moment contagious. How I love my little sister, as well as all of my siblings, even the annoying ones.   
Tita gives out a whoop as she flies up, and I catch her safely in my arms. I cradle her close to me as I spin her around. “Did you touch the sky?” I asked in a warbly, breathless voice between bouts of the giggles.   
She looked up at me with the most solemn and knowing of eyes. “Not yet, but one day, I will touch it while I fly, high, high above the ground.”  
“Fly on the back of a Magdon, will you? It is a rare person who can do that. But I think,” here I gave her a fleeting peck on the head, “you are special enough to be one of those people.” I thought of her, riding into the clouds and touching the brim of heaven on the back of such a creature. They are fierce and hard to conquer, but when they are tamed, those animals with the head of a tiger and the massive body of a winged horse, they are devoted companions to the end.   
Her eyes lit up with joy and I knew she was picturing the same thing, maybe even imagining how she would look in an armor of gold with a diamond sword raised high, catching the light and sending rainbow rays showering down onto the earth below. In that moment I knew she could not grow up slow enough, and I could never hold her close enough. I grew remorseful at the thought of her getting older., but we all had to grow up sometime. Much like the coming of spring brings an end to the bleak and yet wildly magnificent winter, melting away any traces of the pure snow, beautiful and wonderful fantasies that had once seemed to be so real become imaginary, and reality becomes all too oppressive. That is when you know the sacred wonders of childhood are over.

 

My shoes in hand, I creep silently down the secret tunnel, not wanting to alert anyone hovering outside a wall to my presence. They’re thin here, and you have to be silent if you don’t want any noise to drift through. A guard had heard my brother talking to himself one time, and we’d had to work together to make it seem like there was a ghost in the castle for the longest time afterwards just so that nobody would find these tunnels. Sometimes we still scared people with “the ghost of Little Red” just for a laugh. One lady had fainted and fallen into a punch bowl when my younger sister, Liandra, had brazenly pulled a stunt at a party. It had happened so quickly the lady had been the only one to see her, and everyone thought she was bonkers for the longest time. Still, despite the fact that I was tiptoeing along, I winched with every step I took, worried that the brush of my foot along the ground would be enough to warn those hovering outside I was in here. I opened the passageway door to my younger sisters chambers, creeping up to her bed. It was late, far too late, but she couldn’t sleep unless I sung to her. It was a habit I would have to break soon enough, but not now. I reached out and stroked her hair. “Tita, Tita darling.” I whispered softly as I brushed it back tenderly. I don’t want to alert the guards to my presence- that is the last thing I need, to be found like this. I would lose all of my freedoms, and for a princess, that isn’t saying much. I was desperate to retain those few moments where I am alone. I rather prefer having nights where a full guard isn’t posted around my bed.   
As my hand stroked over my youngest sister's’ hair, it came away sticky and wet. I immediately became alarmed.   
“Tita, Tita, what’s wrong? I know I’m late, and I’m sorry, but I’m here now. Please don’t be sad. Please don’t cry.” I pleaded. There was no response from the small form.   
I sat down on the bed. “Tita, are you going to continue ignoring me?” Still there was no response from her tiny, prone form, huddled so securely underneath her streaked quilt. She looked so fragile in that moment. She had always given off the impression of a China doll, having been born with a rare disease that kept her frail. Her skin was always as pale as snow, and her brown eyes hung big in her narrow face that was almost always drawn, giving the impression that she hadn’t gotten any sleep. “Tittta?” I said in a sing-song voice. There was no flicker of movement to show she had even heard me, but I knew she had. I sighed unhappily before gathering her up into my arms. She continued to ignore me, not moving an inch.   
I positioned myself more comfortably before I began singing her song, the one I wrote for her when she was only three; it was her favorite one. She was ignoring me for the moment, but I knew she couldn’t resist my voice. I sang it quietly so as not to disturb the guards.   
“Deep in the forest, a meadow of green,  
The purple flowers bloooom and softly the breeze sings.  
A rabbit dashes by with not a care in the world,  
It is here in this forest that you’ll find peace on earth. 

 

A stream winding through the bends carries the weary on their way  
A lark bustles by, and near the antelope pla...

 

I trail off as I realize that Tita is still not moving. I grow irritated, holding her at arm's length, but she continues hanging limp in my arms.  
“Tita, this is no longer funny.” I gripe irritatedly. She just hangs there.  
“Tita, if you’re going to act childish, I won’t sing to you. You can play dead alone, after all,” I warn testily in my dour voice that lets her know I am not bluffing. It always gets my siblings to snap to attention- they know when I use it I’m at my limit.   
Still, there’s no sign of life from her. No sign of life at all. I gasp as I realize- her stomach hasn’t moved this whole time. I was holding her close but didn’t feel her breath wash over me as I should have.   
“Tita? Tita!” I cried as I shook her. I reached over to her nightstand and lit the lamp there with the flintlock as quickly as I could, fumbling a bit as I went. Finally, I got the candle inside lit. That’s when I saw it. What I mistook for tears in my hazy state of mind is blood. It coats her head, cascading down her pillow like she was the creation of some macabre artist. Her eyes gazed blankly into the distance and I don’t know how I hadn’t noticed them in the dark, how they stared so emptily off. I went to scream, a scream of pure terror and anguish that rippled up from the bottom of my soul, but before I could make so much as a sound hands wrapped around me, pressing against my mouth with an unrelenting grip. I fought against them, but I was too woozy, and I couldn’t, I couldn’t…

 

“Aven, AVEN!” Avory’s voice echoed through my head, wrenching me from the nightmare I constantly relived. I shot up, sobbing into the night air. His hands pressed into my back, soothing me, as if his touch could be of any help. I looked at him with tear filled eyes, my lips trembling, and he stared right back, as quiet as the night around us. Finally, I lay back down on the ground and rolled over.   
“Go away.” I demanded as I curled into a ball, wrapping my arms around my knees. He didn’t say anything. After a moment his hands left me and his footsteps receded into the night. I buried my head into my knees and cried, the grievances of my heart pouring forth into the night, adding more darkness, like my sour is what painted the sky black. 

 

Somehow I finally managed to fall back to sleep, even against the threat of what awaited me. It felt like I had hardly had my eyes closed for five minutes before I felt Avory’s hands on me, shaking me once more, his voice urgently whispering my name.   
“What, what is it?” I asked, opening my eyes. I was met with a night as black as before. I threw my hands up aggravatedly and rolled over, wrapping my arms around the back of my head. “It’s not morning yet, and I wasn’t even having a nightmare. Go away! Honestly, of all the things-  
“Would you just be quiet and listen?” he hissed.   
I sat up in a tizzy. “Fine, but this had better be…  
I trailed off, my eyes going wide, as off in the distance I heard the braying of a hound. I scrambled up quickly.  
“Who are they after?” I asked in a pleading voice as the color drained from my face.  
“I don’t know.”  
“Do you think they’re coming for me? Do they know I’m alive?”  
“We’re not about to hang around to ask. Help me pack the stuff up, we’re leaving right now.”   
I began running around the campsite, stuffing things into bags, desperate to put as much distance between me and those howls as I could. It took us all of five minutes to get everything ready to go. Avory held the reins and helped me up onto the horse, settling in behind me when I was safely seated. With a click of his tongue and a shimmy of the reins we started off, walking the horse at first to get her warmed up.  
We had been going for two hours, and still we could hear the occasional bray travel through the air. I was getting more and more worried, looking behind me every chance I got to see if I could spot what were likely our pursuers in the distance. Every time I didn’t see them my heart lept, just to sink again a few minutes later as I began to think, “Now, they’ll be behind us now.”  
“Would you stop doing that? You’re driving me crazy.” Avory finally snapped as I glanced behind us for what felt like the hundredth time.  
“I’m sorry, but what do you want me to do? I’m terrified.”  
“Yes, well, I’m in the same exact position you’re in, but I’m managing to control myself. There’s no point in getting yourself all worked up yet. You don’t know they’re after you.”  
“Who else would they have hounds out searching for!” I demanded.  
“We don’t know! That’s the point. I highly doubt they’ve realized your body isn’t there yet.”  
“They don’t need to.” I muttered.  
Avory urged the horse, who he had going at a steady pace so as not to tire her out, to a halt. “What do you mean, ‘They don’t need to’?” he asked, his voice low, dangerous.  
I swallowed past the fear that had arisen in me. “It’s just… well… if it were me, I’d send out search parties as a precaution.”  
Avory cursed and clapped his heels harshly into the horse, Gaey, throwing caution to the wind and sending us into a full on sprint. I held on tightly as we burst across the fields, regret bubbling like bile in the back of my throat. This is why I had heatedly insisted we pass the first few towns, although I hadn’t been open with Avory as to my reasons. Although I could have been building up support for myself, they would have been the first places to be checked by Julius’ soldiers. It came back to haunt me now. I should have been honest- that I hadn’t been meant Avory and I were now on a forced march. We rode hard that day, trying our best to put distance between us and the soldiers behind us. It seemed to be working, but we didn’t know how much longer Gaey could go, and the soldiers were driving steadily onwards. Eventually they would catch us. Just like my past, they would sneak up and I would be caught helplessly in their snare.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3. A Long Journey

 

That night, after Avory and I had set up camp next to the Raritan (a lake which, believe me, is far less impressive than it sounds) we sat down and tried to formulate a plan. I huddled underneath a thin, woolen blanket that hardly helped in keeping away the chill of the night, rubbing my arms vigorously. There was no fire because we didn’t want to draw the attention of any pursuers, and it was gelid out. The wind caressed my skin, reaching deep inside of me, making my very bones cold and sending wracking shivers through me.  
“Alright, so here’s the valley we’re in and the surrounding area.” Avory said, sweeping his palm across a small portion of the map towards the north-west. “We’re right beside the Raritan- if we cross it, we’ll be able to easily reach plenty of towns. We should be able to hide in one.”  
I looked at the map, analyzing the plan he had laid out, or what I’ll call a plan for now. “No, that won’t work. The only towns within easy reach aren’t safe for me to be in. Dremonga is riddled with peasants who are so hard off and desperate to live another month that many are prone to sell their own mother. Farcefinger is a city where Julius’ men will number as many as my supporters, increasing the likelihood that I would be spotted by a spy. Everlin is a town of commerce- it has one of the best blacksmiths and is directly on the ocean, so many go there. The roads will be too well traveled and it is too likely that I’d be spotted. Besides, if Julius did send troops after me, places like that, with ships on the ocean, ready to transport me anywhere I need, would have been the first place he directed them. Hurtinger is controlled by a Lord who is as untrustworthy as the night is black, and Yithium’s alliance changes with each passing day.”  
“We could always go to Everlin anyways. We could try to catch a ship to Syama.” Avory pressed on despite my misgivings.  
“Even if the town wouldn’t be crawling with Julius’ soldiers, who would be there to ensure I don’t do just that, I already told you that I wasn’t going to Syama.”  
“They’re not expecting you to be with a man. I could get us two cabins aboard a ship and then sneak you on, and nobody would be the wiser.” he urged, ignoring the last part.  
“The soldiers would either have to be inept or we would have to be lucky for such a foolish plan to work, but it’s more likely that both would be needed. How do we know we can trust the captain? How do we know one of his sailors wouldn’t turn me in? Besides, even if I could go to Syama, I wouldn’t. As much as I hate it I can’t leave my people.” I said this in an exasperated voice, but defiance shown in my eyes. Avory knew I wasn’t going to change my mind on this and switched tactics.  
“If you won’t go to Everlin, then why not Yithium? Perhaps with you there you’ll be able to embolden the people and they will join sides with you.”  
I dragged my hands down my face, suddenly very, very tired. “Let’s keep that plan in reserve. I’d rather not have to take such a risk if it can be avoided.”  
Avory gnashed his teeth together wildly, jerking his hair with his fingers, as irritated with me as I was beginning to get with him. “How about this, then. After we cross the Raritan we can put on all speed until we reach the Ultire River. We just may be able to lose any pursuers if we cross that.” I didn’t even bother saying anything to that suggestion, and the silence stretched on until he gave out a brash curse that made me flinch away.  
“For the Gods sake, what would you have us do then?” he stormed impatiently, balling his hands into fists.   
I looked at the map, my eyes traveling across the lake. I felt something pushing at the back of my mind, like the start of a plan, but I didn’t quite know what it was. “Give me this night. I… I think I have something. I don’t know what it is yet, though, and if that is still true tomorrow and I fail to come up with a better plan then we will travel to Yithium.”  
“Fine, it’s not like we’re going to be doing any traveling in the dark until then, anyways. I’m going to retire for the night.”  
“Sleep well.” I muttered distractedly, my eyes roaming the map feverishly, trying to find the best course of action. It was right there, I could feel it. 

 

For once I woke Avory up, shaking his shoulders eagerly. “Avory, wake up!”  
He popped up instantly, looking around wildly, his eyes quickly sweeping across the surrounding landscape. His hand went almost instinctively to the sword that he keeps by his side while he sleeps. He also wears a dagger around his waist at all times. I wondered absently what in his life had made him so paranoid that he needed two weapons so close on hand while he slept. I had gotten a dagger when I had first set out on my own, but there was something undeniably strange about the presence of the sword when he already had a pig-sticker.   
“What do you want? Did you figure something out?” he asked, pulling his hand back after assessing the situation and satisfying himself that we were in no immediate danger.   
“Indeed, though I’m not sure if you’ll like it. If… if it’s too much, we’ll go to Yithium, but I really think it’s our best chance.”  
“Just say what you need to.”  
“Very well.” I grabbed the map and spread it before him, revealing the section I needed. “Here is Cromwell,” I said, jabbing a finger onto a town further west than any of the others we had considered yesterday. “In this town I have the best chance of staying safe and building up an army of people. It will be small, but it will be a start. It’s strategically located atop a hill, and it’s surrounded by a wall. It used to be a garrison, but that was abandoned during the time of King Osiri, who expanded the border of Erandia. The garrison was moved further down, but the one in Cromwell remained untouched, and citizens slowly started to move in until it became a town. If we cross the Raritan it would be too far a distance to traverse- we’d have to pass by towns, and the soldiers that are likely following us would be hot on our trail.” I stopped talking, nibbling my lips nervously. I wasn’t looking forward to the next part.  
“Go on. If we can’t cross the Raritan, how are we supposed to get there?”  
“We take Gaey across. We send her racing off into the distance, and we walk down the middle of the lake heading towards Cromwell so the hounds don’t pick up on our scent. I’ll understand if you don’t want to get rid of Gaey, but you should know that this is our best chance. Samira came from this town, and I have friends there. Her family would shelter us and help us find people that we can trust.”  
Avory amazed me by responding instantly. “I’m fine giving up Gaey. She was free, anyways. I took her off a dead man.” he said all of that very matter-of-factly, as if it was such a normal thing. I gaped incredulously at him, but he only shrugged. “What? It’s not as if he were using her anymore.”  
“I’m traveling with a thief.” I groaned.  
“I think you’ll come to find I’m many things, love. I wouldn’t constrict me to one label just yet if I were you.”  
I rolled up the map brusquely, done with the conversation and for once not at all interested in what he meant. “It’s decided, then. Let’s start packing- we don’t have any time to lose.”  
We had made sure to keep everything that we could ready to go in case we needed to ride off in the middle of the night, so it took us no time at all to finish getting ready to leave. We walked up to the lake, and I stared blankly into its azure waters that lay over perfect white stones. Once I would have gave out a whoop of delight at seeing the lake, rushing ahead to jump into the sparkling sapphires of the water. I would have stripped off my dress and then dived in, sliding gracefully through its inviting shallows. Times had changed so quickly, and I had changed with them. I was more bothered at the way the water pulled at our clothing and the horse, slowing what had once been a brisk trot to a slow trudge. I gnashed my teeth at the thought of the extra weight the water would add to my clothing when I finally got out, only further slowing me down, not to mention the time that would be needed to dry them tonight. As angered as I was, it wasn’t enough to smother the hope that burned in my heart. I had confidence in my plan- it is almost perfect. Cromwell is isolated in the country side meaning that, ideally, there will be fewer soldiers in the town. That means less chances to spread Julius’ influence- the people are very likely still loyal to me and, being less restricted by the despotic weight of terror, will have more of the fire in them that is needed for war.   
We made our way across and stood on the opposite side. Avory grabbed Gaey’s head gently and lowered it so he was looking into her gray eyes, likely for the last time. “Gaey my dear, it’s been fun. I will miss you and you’ve been a good and loyal horse, so this is almost difficult. Write me when you get to where you’re going.” he told her before nodding at me. I gave Gaey a slap on her quarters, and she was off. We watched her go for a moment before stepping back into the lake.   
“You made a joke back there. I didn’t think you had it in you.” I told him musingly as I stepped carefully along. Luckily the lake wasn’t that deep or this would have been very difficult.   
“Perhaps if you didn’t annoy me to no end you would have experienced my good humor by now.”  
I snorted obnoxiously. “‘Write me when you can’, that’s good humor? Hardly.”   
“How’s this then?” was the only warning I had before he dumped water over my head. I gave out a shrill screech, spinning on him.   
“That’s cold!” my shout was only met with soft laughter. I rolled my eyes, throwing my hands up into the air with a groan. “We don’t have time for this, come on!”   
For all of my show, I was glad Avory seemed to be relaxing around me. It made me more comfortable with him in turn. I think he did it for my benefit. Both of us had been so anxious these past few days, even anger was a preferable emotion. It was just odd, thinking about Avory as the type of person who actually cared. I would have expected him to tell me to, “Just suck it up, Buttercup.” It was probably the cynic in me that was whispering in the back of my head that he had done it to get closer to me, but I pointedly ignored it. Even if that were true, I wasn’t going to pick apart his every action right now when I had to focus on just putting one foot in front of the other. Besides, a part of me, the part of me that realized he was my only chance at survival now, didn’t want to think that he was travelling with me for any reason other than he wanted to help. Because if he has other motivations then I am already as good as dead.  
I shivered as a breeze blew by, wrapping my arms around myself. My head was drenched, and the water was dripping off of my hair onto my shoulders, wetting my shirt through.   
“You should probably shake that off.” Avory noted, reaching out to gently grab me as I tripped on a rock. He held my elbow until I regained my footing.   
“What, like a dog? Never. I do have SOME dignity left, after all.”  
“Stay cold, then.” he told me pointedly, and I could imagine the shrug that accompanied those words.   
I had to get off of this subject. “Avory, I was wondering if you could teach me how to fight with a sword when we get to Cromwell. You know, if it’s not too much of a bother.” I said hurriedly, blushing a deep red. I hated having to ask a favor of him when he was already doing so much.   
“You’re a bit too tiny for a sword. Any decent swordsmen would be able to overpower you, but I suppose I’ll try,”  
“Really?” I crowed, my face lighting up.  
“Yes, well, it could come in handy. Who knows, you could save my life!” he quipped, before going on. “Being serious though, teaching you how to fight might make spending time with you everyday a little more bearable. You’d have to shut up for once.”  
“You always do know just the right words to say to make a girl melt.” I told him sardonically, already regretting that I had ever asked at all. We trudged on through the water silently, neither of us having anything to say. Every now and then I’d eagerly point out a bird flying through the sky, or a bunny poking its head up past the pale, stretching grass that looked like a green ocean when it waved with the wind, but Avory would only grunt mutely in response, altogether uncaring of something I found so amazing. To think that there was all this vitality in the world, and I had been confined to gray stones for my whole life. I doubt the world would ever cease to amaze me. I could hardly blame him for his indifferent attitude. Where he saw a boring brown creature with overly long ears, I saw an adventurer ready to take on the open fields. Where he saw a sparkle in the water, I saw a world of light and hope. Where he saw a dark shadow in the sky, I saw a spirit that could never be restricted by any man. There was so much freedom that surrounded me in this unabridged little corner of the earth that I could almost taste it in the air. It filled my soul, making me feel lighter than I ever had before, like I was about to take flight after that bird in the sky. As we walked on, trodding through the icy waters of that lake, careful not to brush the foliage on either side, I began to get lost in it all. It helped that, between the curves of the lake and the hills that rolled up all around us, we had no fear of being spotted by the soldiers behind us, so I could truly relax.  
“Winter’s going to set in early this year, judging by the water.” Avorys’ voice broke through my thoughts.  
“It really hasn’t been that warm lately, either, has it?”  
“No, no it hasn’t.”  
I gave out a dramatic sigh, holding my arms above my head and turning to squeeze past a particularly narrow bend in the river where reeds pressed in on either side. “Has it really come to this?”  
“Come to what?”   
“Are we really talking about the weather right now? I can’t be that person. Quick, tell me something. It doesn’t have to be about you, don’t worry, you don’t have to become the man of mystery once more, all sullen and reserved, scared of what the intimidating girl will piece together about you from the few words you speak. It could be a story about someone you know. Just… anything.”  
Avory considered for a moment. “I’m not what you think I am.” he finally said, cryptically.  
“What is that supposed to mean?”  
“It means I’m not a warrior.” I halted in mid-step, slowly turning to face him.   
“You don’t know how to fight?” I asked too calmly, my heart racing.   
“No, I know how to fight. I’ve just never joined the army.”  
“What are you, then, if not a soldier?”  
“I can’t answer that.”  
“Well a lot of bloody good you telling me that was.” I remarked bitingly.   
“Nevermind that. Tell me something about yourself.”  
I considered for a moment. I entertained the idea of telling him no, but then we’d fall back into silence, and I was absolutely sick and tired of silence. “I don’t know how to wield a sword but I do know how to shoot an arrow.”  
“A Princess who has some knowledge in weapons. Now that’s unconventional. I’m assuming this wasn’t by your father’s doing, him being the much revered king of peace and all, so tell me. How’d you come to pick up the skill?”  
I hesitated, not quite sure where or how to start. “It is a fair bit of luck that I know how to use the bow. I’ve always felt that, as a ruler, I had to be able to fight so that, if needed, I could fight for my people. I knew my father would never approve of me using a sword, he would have never allowed me the chance to practice with that. He hadn’t wanted me to learn shoot either, actually, but he didn’t stop me when I began teaching myself. Of course, he outright refused to get me a teacher, so I’m self-taught. I’m not an expert by any means, but I have a fair bit of skill, enough to keep me alive in a battle. I suppose you could say the recalcitrant side of me worked in my favor for once. I very well may need that skill in the future if I have a dream of staying alive.”  
“It’s a bit ironic, isn’t it?” Avory asked when I was finished, and I turned my head back for a moment to look at him.  
“What is?”  
“You have skills with a bow but there is no bow to be had, and you need to know maneuvers used in battle but you don’t have that knowledge. It’s just that, well, it’s a bit backwards right now, isn’t it?”  
“I suppose you’re right.” I said, a hint of amusement in my voice. I might as well laugh at the situation, as anything else would only make me feel worse. “You know, I also know how to work a slingshot. I used to be quite good at it, until I saw my brother come home with a deer one day. I became jealous that he had gone hunting when I wasn’t allowed, so I went out and killed a rabbit with a slingshot I had made. My father would never have known about it, had it not been for the fact that I decided to give it to the kitchen staff to cook for that nights dinner. I thought my father would be so proud of me, his little huntress. I remember how gladly I gave it to them, like a conquering hero returned home.” I reminisced ruefully. “Of course, my father took my slingshot after that.”   
“You killed a rabbit with a slingshot?” Avory asked in stupefied amazement.  
“Hit it right between the eyes.” I answered proudly.   
“I learned how to shoot a bow when I was only seven. I developed the skill over time, and now I’m quite good at it.”  
“Who taught you?”   
“My mother, oddly enough.”   
“Your mother knew how to use a bow? She’s a rare woman. Most wouldn’t even know how to wield a fork in defense of themselves.” I joked, giving out a laugh. I do crack myself up.  
“She learned through necessity.”  
“What do you mean?” I asked, tilting my head to the side.   
“It means that she was alone her whole life. She had to learn how to defend herself and ensure we always had meat on the table, so she figured the bow was a good way to go. She also fought with swords, but she was a bit taller and stockier than you.”  
“I would like to meet her. She seems like an inspiring woman.”  
“Yes… let’s get out here, we’ve gone far enough at this point. The water will only slow us down and we’ll want our clothes to be dry come morning.”   
I agreed, and Avory climbed out, offering me his hand to help me up as well.   
“Thank you.” I told him in a breathless, squeaky little voice, giving myself a mental whack at the noise. Sometimes I act quite strange for absolutely no reason.


End file.
